That Was Vegan?

This contest is now closed, and winner is <drumroll….> Ashley! She went gluten free to try and clear up her sinus infections, then went completely plant-based (literally) over night after reading the China Study! Very impressive!

For those who have already read The China Study, T. Colin Campbell’s game-changing bestseller, you’ll recognize Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition as the next logical step. In this impressive follow up, we learn why a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) provides optimal nutrition, and why it absolutely is the best way for humans to eat.

Not exactly a beach-read, Whole is powerful, packed with facts, persuasive arguments and plenty of nutritional research and science. It’s a book you’ll read and then happily share with your non plant-based friends and family!

The Giveaway:

One lucky reader will receive a copy of Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition!

This contest is open until Midnight (Mountain time), Sunday 9/22. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced the following day. To Enter: All you gotta do is leave a comment below telling us whether you’ve read The China Study and if so, what changes it prompted you to make. I love hearing from my healthy readers! 🙂

Contest is limited to US and Canada only. Good luck!!

*The publishers provided me with free product to review, but the opinions are 100% mine!

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I’m crazily into appetizers lately, partly because they’re quick n’ easy (or, at least, they can be) and, honestly, just because they’re fun. Who doesn’t like a dinner you can eat with your fingers? This Sweet Potato Slaw makes a wonderful Asian-style appetizer, but it has multiple other uses! You could use it in spring rolls, or just as a side dish. In fact, you should keep your eyes open for an upcoming Brussels sprout sandwich that also features this yummy concoction!

Light and sweet, this appetizer works well in both warm weather and in the fall… after all, sweet potatoes know no season!

Sweet Potato Slaw in Wonton Cups

These can be served warm or at room temperature. If you’re serving warm, add the soy sauce mixture to the sweet potato mixture in the pan to warm it all up before putting into the individual cups.

Ingredients:

• 12-18 wonton or dumpling wrappers
• Non-stick spray
• 1 small cabbage, thinly sliced (about 1.5 cups)
• 1 smallish sweet potato, peeled and shredded (about 1.5 cups)
• 1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, plus more for drizzling
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons vegetarian hoisin sauce
• 1.5 Tablespoons lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 jalapeno, diced (optional)
• 3 green onions for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray the muffin tin(s) with the non-stick spray, then place one wrapper in each section, pressing down to create the cup shape. Bake for 5-6 minutes, or until the cups are crispy and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
2. Water saute the cabbage for 2 minutes, then add the onion for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the sweet potato and leave over low/medium heat for another 2-3 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, hoisin, lime juice, ginger and jalapenos (if using).
4. The pan with your sweet potato mixture should be dry, drain any existing water if necessary. If you’re planning to serve this warm, add the soy sauce mixture to the pan and stir into the slaw. If serving at room temperature, add the slaw mixture to the bowl.
5. Mix well, and top with additional soy sauce as needed. Spoon into individual cups and top with sliced green onion.

Enjoy!

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Can someone please tell me where the summer has gone? It seems like only last week I was still having to bundle up to walk the dogs, and now August is almost over. How is this even possible? Has it gone by this fast for anyone else?

I suppose all I can do is make the most of what’s left of my summer, and I intend to! I leave Thursday for my annual “Girl’s Trip” with my Mama… last year we went to Asheville, this year we’re heading to… PORTLAND! Huzzah! Our vacations are clearly planned around stuffing our faces with yummy vegan food, and we’re not even trying to hide it. No shame in our game!

Oh, and don’t even think about breaking into my house and stealing my recipes while I’m gone… I have some serious guard dog action going on:

Consider yourselves warned 🙂

Okay, it’s sandwich time. We’re all busy, and we all want to leave plenty of time to enjoy the rest of our summers, so we need a quick and easy vegan meal. This just might be it: Easy Chik’n Sandwiches.

For each sandwich, simply rehydrate a handful of soy curls for 10 minutes in a bowl of warm water. Drain and squeeze the excess liquid, then mix with a couple tablespoons of your favorite salad dressing (lately I’ve been overly addicted to Goddess dressing). Add lettuce, tomato, bread and some chips or fries, and you have yourself a meal!

And with that, I leave you until next week. In the meantime, let me know if you have any travel plans for the rest of the summer!

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Happy Friday everyone! This has been the week that just wouldn’t end… I’ve been busy at work, busy at life, busy with a super exciting new project (that I promise to spill the beans on as soon as I can) and on top of all that, my darling little cocker boy Cooper had major surgery. Here he is, back at home, showing off his cone of shame love and good health:

So now, in addition to only having one eye, he only has one ear canal. The good news is that he’s doing great and he’ll be getting his sutures out on Monday.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share this little recipe… my take on Garlicky Italian Pasta Salad… just add a little baked tofu and you’ve got yourself a vegan masterpiece!

Garlicky Italian Pasta Salad (makes 6-8 servings)

To add more protein, or to make a full meal, bake and cube some lightly seasoned tofu, and stir in!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of rotini (or your favorite small pasta)
• 1 bell pepper (or half red and half green), diced
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 1/2 a sweet onion, diced
• 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Generous 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Italian dressing
• S&P to taste

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Rinse well with cold water and set aside.
2. Mix the veggies, olive oil and garlic powder together and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Add the Italian dressing (start with 3/4 cup, stir well and continue to add until you get the coverage you desire). Stir in S&P, taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

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I’m stealing a page from JL’s playbook and calling this “intuitive cooking”! I know, I know, stealing isn’t nice, but I’m pretty sure she’ll forgive me. And if not, I’ll beg for her forgiveness with these Easy Vegan Grilled Endive!

These are actually Belgian Endive, which is the only type of endive I’ve cooked with. Am I just leading a sheltered life? Maybe. Or, maybe I’ve just found the most delicious type of endive and have no need to look further?

Anyway, all you do is wash your endive, trim off the woody end, slice them in half and top with a little homemade marinade. I used a mix of S&P, powdered garlic, oregano and balsamic vinegar. Grill for 3-4 minutes and you have one delicious side dish! I highly recommend serving it with some grilled homemade seitan… Mmmmm.

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Okay, so I’m going to skip over the Vegan Hawaiian Pizza for just a second so I can blabber about H Mart, aka My New Favorite Place.

They have approximately 47,001 different kinds of produce, and while there’s not a huge organic selection, the prices are great. Also? They make their own tofu!

Look at all those flavors! Anyway, that place was enormous and had such a great selection, I highly recommend it. There were a couple smaller stores that I used to frequent when I lived in the Springs, but this store (in Aurora) blows them away! They’re a national chain, so check and see if there’s one near you! Just, you know… remember that it is an Asian Market so there’s going to be a lot of, umm, deceased animals. So, yah. Anyway…

Pizza! Hawaiian Pizza! Delicious, sweet, crispy Hawaiian pizza.

There’s no real recipe for this (although I do have a great recipe for pizza dough!), simple use your favorite vegan cheese, chopped pineapple (canned or fresh both work) and Yves Meatless Canadian Bacon. Bake on a stone for 12-14 minutes at 425, and you have yourself one delicious pizza!

Mmmm…. cheesy!

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I know there are many vegans out there who don’t like to eat at meat-centric restaurants, even when there are plant-based offerings on the menu, and I get it. I’m not usually that way, but I get it.

Where am I going with this? Well, any vegans who are avoiding Larkburger for that reason are missing out!

If you like mushrooms, you’ll love the Amy Burger:

Vegetarian roasted portabella mushroom with sauteed onions… begins with a large portabella mushroom slow roasted with garlic, parsley and our savory marinade. Accompanying the portabella is fresh leaf lettuce, house ripened tomato and crispy onions…

Sounds delish, right? Two caveats: you need to order the Amy Burger with the dairy-free bun and “hold the sauce”, but it’s still wonderful! I always enjoy mine with a side of edamame (they call ’em plain old ‘soy beans’) but you can also get french fries, with or without truffle oil.

I haven’t tried them yet, but I see they’ve added new salads to their menu, two of which appear to be vegan (the Baby Kale Salad and the Bibb & Quinoa Salad).

Beyond the food, I love how inclusive Larkburger is. Their website clearly explains which ingredients and dishes contain known allergens, and they’ve marketed the heck out of their dairy and gluten free bun options.  So yah – you’re still going to have the dudes at the table next to you chowing down on meat burgers, but with this Amy Burger in your face, I don’t think you’re even going to notice.

And, good news for my non-Colorado readers: They’re finally expanding nationally! Here’s a bit of trivia for you… did you know that many popular, national chains got their start in little ol’ Colorado? Chipotle, Quiznos (the very first store is a block from my office!), Qdoba, Red Robin, Village Inn, Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill and Noodles & Company, to name some of the most famous.

Want more Denver-area restaurant reviews? Check out my Mile High Vegan Eats page!

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I have this thing with sweet summer corn… I literally cannot stop myself from eating it. Grilled, boiled, I don’t care. Just let me put it in my belly.

When I was a young lass, we lived near a small farm that grew “cow corn” in a field directly across from my house.  I’ll never forget the first time I snuck into that field to steal an ear of corn. I thought I had discovered the secret to happiness! The meaning of life! Whatever you wanted to call it, I was pretty sure that I’d be eating all the corn I wanted for the rest of that summer.

Unfortunately, cow corn tastes nothing like people corn. It was so gross, and not sweet, and not good at all. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. To say I didn’t sneak in again a week later, just to make sure, would be a lie.

It’s entirely possible that I wasn’t the smartest kid ever.

Fast forward 15 20 25-ish years and I no longer steal my corn – I buy it from a farmer’s market or grocery store like a nice, upstanding citizen. The best part? No more cow corn! Also, no more climbing through rusty old fences.

I feel like this post has gotten way off topic, so let me circle back around to where I began: I love corn. And in an effort to consume as much corn as possible, I had to look for different ways to prepare it. Now, you might be thinking that corn and pasta seem an odd match, but as soon as you try this Vegan Summer Corn Fettuccine Alfredo, all your doubts will fly right out the window. I promise.

The corn is sweet, and the vegan alfredo sauce is oh so creamy! Did I mention there’s tempeh bacon in there, too? Well there is! Top with a little basil and you have the perfect summer pasta dish!

Just don’t use cow corn.

Summer Corn Fettuccine Alfredo (makes 4-5 servings)

Adapted from this non-vegan/non-vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces fettuccine
• 4 slices tempeh bacon
• Applewood smoked sea salt
• 3 ears of corn, shucked and all the fibers rinsed off
• 1 Tablespoon safflower oil
• 1 sweet bell pepper, chopped (I used red, any would work)
• Half small red onion, diced
• S&P
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 batch Happy Herbivore alfredo sauce (when preparing, I recommend using AP flour and adding salt!)
• Basil leaves, for topping.

Directions:

1. Cook fettuccine according to box, set aside.
2. Cook tempeh bacon w/ a little no-stick spray, and sprinkle with the smoked sea salt, 2-3 minutes per side. Once it has some color, remove and chop into bite-sized pieces.
3. Cut the corn off all three cobs. Add oil to the pan and when it’s heated (over medium-high), add the corn, bell pepper and onion. Add a little S&P and stir until everything is warm, 2-3 minutes. Add the bacon back in and leave on for another 2 minutes. Add pepper flakes, then taste and adjust. Stir in alfredo sauce and pasta, and reduce heat to low. Top with basil leaves, and serve warm.

Enjoy!

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Growing up, fast food was always a treat for me, mostly because we lived in a rural area without any nearby. Well, until I was in high school, when our small town “finally” got a Dunkin’ Donuts and a McDonalds (an interesting study would’ve been how the town’s population experienced an increase in cholesterol, T2 Diabetes, heart disease, etc… but I digress).

On the rarest of occasions, the family would dine at KFC, and my very favorite item on the menu was their coleslaw. I loved the texture, the way the cabbage and carrots and onion were all diced into the tiniest of pieces, and the flavor! Oh the sweetness of KFC coleslaw…

Of course it’s been years since I’ve visited a KFC, but every so often, when I drive by one and happen to notice it, I remember that delicious coleslaw… Then I saw one of those copycat recipes on Pinterest, and decided to veganize it. The result? YUM! Pretty much the way I remember it, sweet and a little zingy.

Bee-tee-dubs, this isn’t the first fast food fave I’ve veganized… check out my Crispy Potato Soft Tacos, a’la Taco Bell and my Spicy Chick’n Sandwich which is even better than the one at Wendy’s!

Vegan KFC Copycat Coleslaw (makes 5 side servings)

Adapted from this vegetarian recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups roughly chopped cabbage
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1/4 onion, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4+ teaspoon salt
• Dash freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup almond milk, divided in half
• 1 dash apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegan mayo, plus 1 or 2 Tablespoons
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Put cabbage, carrot and onion into food processor with S-blade, and pulse until everything is evenly diced.  Remove with a slotted spoon, discarding any extra fluid. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup milk and the apple cider vinegar, and set aside for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients, then add the vinegar mixture.
3. Add the cabbage mix and stir well. You might want to add a bit more S&P (I did!!), and more mayo if you want it creamier. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

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